Heddle frames



Dec 24, 1968 E. PFARRWALLER HEDDLE FRAMES Filed Oct. ll, 1966 7 a 3 6 9 .w @E .H F 5 w M. J .G @y x H lv 4 63 3# 2 F n ly 4 u o; .{LUWM f l v 4J, 3, .115 fb/z T3 .TTM 2 w :1 6 w w 0 1, 2 .I x K VMRWY 1 7\ Q 4 2 4 2 3 $21 uw? 3 4 qu j 1//.\- .l 2 F n 4 Q o L L C FFV United States Patent O 3,417,790 HEDDLE FRAMES Erwin Pfarrwaller, Winterthur, Switzerland, assignor to Sulzer Brothers Limited, Winterthur, Switzerland, a Swiss company Filed Oct. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 585,858 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Oct. 12, 1965,

4 claims. (ci. 139-91) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed a heddle frame for looms including one or more crossbars for connecting together the upper and lower horizontal members of the heddle frame, these crossbars being adjustably xable at various locations lengthwise of the frame. To this end the longitudinal members are hollow, taper in cross-section toward each other, and have in their adjacent edges each a slot through which fastening means may extend from one end of the cross-bar into the interior of the longitudinal member and into a movable anchoring member disposed inside the longitudinal member. The anchoring member is inside the hollow longitudinal member and is tapered to match the tapering shape of the inside cross-section of the longitudinal member. The crossbar is then aiixed to the remainder of the heddle frame, upon tightening of the fastening means, by frictional engagement between the ends of the cross bar and the exterior of the longitudinal members, and by frictional engagement between the anchor members and the interior of the longitudinal members.

The present invention relates to heddle frames for looms, and provides a heddle frame in which one or more intermediate vertical crossbars connecting the upper and lower longitudinal members yof the frame are readily adjusted in position lengthwise of the frame, i.e. crosswise of the loom.

In previously proposed heddle frames, intermediate vertical crossbars have been xed to solid longitudinal members, for example by means of screws, or have been otherwise attached in xed position to the heddle frame.

The invention provides a heddle frame comprising hollow longitudinal members having slots in their facing surfaces and interconnected by end crossbars, and at least one intermediate crossbar which has an end member secured to each end, each end member being connected by connecting or fastening means extending through the slot in one of the longitudinal members with an anchor member mounted in the hollow interior of the longitudinal member for longitudinal movement therein. Thus the intermediate crossbar can be moved longitudinally within the limits of the length of the slots in which it is secured. It can therefore be moved longitudinally into a position in which it lies in a gap or lane between spaced warp threads. Such gaps or lanes between warp threads are frequently necessary for other reasons, and by positioning a crossbar accurately in such a gap it is possible to avoid the warp threads rubbing against the crossbar. This is particularly important for certain fabrics made from man-made libres e.g. rayon as shiny places may be produced in such fabrics by the warp threads rubbing against intermediate crossbars during j 3,417,790 Patented Dec. 24, 1968 ICC shedding. Longitudinal adjustment of the crossbars, i.e. adjustment thereof crosswise of the shed, also makes it possible for the crossbars of a number of adjacent heddle frames to be precisely aligned with each other in a common gap or lane in the warp threads.

Preferably, each slot is provided, for example at one end thereof, with a widened portion which is large enough for the anchor member to pass through, into and out of the interior of the longitudinal member. In this way a crossbar can be moved along until the anchor members inside the longitudinal members are opposite the widened portions of the slots so that the crossbar can be removed from the longitudinal members. With appropriate detachable fastening means between the crossbar and anchors, this can be effected by completely detaching the crossbar from the upper anchor member, which can then be removed through the widened portion in the slot of the upper longitudinal member. The lower anchor member can then be lifted out through the widened portion in the slot of the lower longitudinal member by means of the crossbar to which it is still attached.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the longitudinal members taper toward each other in cross-section down to their respective slots, the surfaces of the longitudinal members on each side of the slot being convergent, as by being curved or sloping, and the end pieces or ends of the movable crossbars have corresponding divergent walls arranged to straddle the longitudinal members adjacent their slots and to press the convergent surfaces towards one another and onto the anchor member. In this way any tendency for the slots to be widened by forces tending to pull the anchor members through the slots can be resisted, and if the fastening means are such as to permit drawing together of the anchor members and ends of the movable crossbars, the Whole area of the joint between the longitudinal member and the crossbar is strengthened.

Preferably, the fastening means comprises screws having lateral projections, such as nuts or heads, and the ends `of the cr-ossbars have lateral recesses in which the fixing screws are received with the lateral. projections overlying the ends of the crossbars. With the arrangement the crossbar can be separated from or connected to the anchor members at any position along the slots by sliding the recesses in the ends of the crossbars under the heads, and removal of the anchor members from the longitudinal members is not necessary.

At least one of the longitudinal members may have a reinforcing member in its hollow interior adjacent the slot therein to act as a guide for an anchor member between the reinforcing member and the slot. Such a reinforcing member will stitfen the longitudinal member and, in the case of the lower longitudinal member, will prevent the anchor member dropping to the bottom of the hollow interior of the lower longitudinal member when the anchor member is disconnected from a crossbar.

The invention will now be further described in terms of a non-limitative exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic general view of a heddle frame according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational View showing part of the heddle frame of FIG. l to a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view corresponding to the elevational view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV--IV in FIG. 2 at a further enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line V-V in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VI-VI in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 7 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6 but showing a small modication.

Referring to FIG. l, the heddle frame 10 comprises a lower longitudinal member 11 and an upper longitudinal member 12 which are rigidly connected together by end crossbars 13. Brackets 24 carrying carrier bars 25 are mounted opposite each other on the longitudinal members 11 and 12. Removable, sliding intermediate cross- 'bars 26 are inserted between the upper and lower longitudinal members at intervals along the length of the heddle frame. The joints in the heddle frame 10 are subject to high stress during use, being continually exposed to shocks and jarring.

An end piece or member 31 (FIGS. 2 to 5) is attached crosswise, e.g. by soldering, to each end of each intermediate crossbar 26. The adjacent, inner edges 32 and 33 of the members 11 and 12 are rounded, as indicated for the member 11 at 34 in FIG. 4, and the parts 35 of the crossbar end pieces 31 match the rounded portions 34 of the longitudinal members and rest on them. The interior 36 of each longitudinal member contains a movable anchor block 38 with threaded 'bores 37. Fixing screws 41 passing through holes in the end pieces or members 31 and through a slot 39 `in each of the longitudinal members 11 and 12 are screwed into the anchor blocks 38. Thus, in the immediate vicinity of the slots 39, the longitudinal members 11 and 12 taper toward each other in crosssection and are straddled by the concavely grooved or reentrantly shaped end portions or end pieces 31 of the movable crossbars 26, all as shown in FIG. 4.

Each slot 39 in the members 11 and 12 terminates eg. on the left as shown in FIG. 2, in an opening or widened portion 42 large enough to allow the anchor block 3S to be inserted into or removed from the interior 36 of the longitudinal member. A reinforcing member 44 extending the length of the slot 39 including the opening 42, or optionally longer, is spot-welded at points 43 inside each longitudinal member. The member 44 serves the additional purpose of holding the anchor member 38 near enough to the slot 39 to be conveniently reached, even when the anchor member is detached from the crossbar 26.

The heddle carrier bars need not be attached to the intermediate crossbars 26, but lie in recesses 45 in these crossbars as shown in FIG. 3. Heddles (not shown) with yarn eyes for the warp threads are mounted on the heddle carrier bars. Slight pressure on the heddle carrier bars 25 moves them slightly to the left in FIG. 3, moving them temporarily away from the intermediate crossbars so that one or more of the mounted heddles can be moved past an intermediate crossbar as may occasionally be desirable.

While the intermediate crossbars may have approximately rectangular cross-sections as in FIG. 7, in the heddle frame shown in FIGS. l to 6, the crossbars in the particular frame being described have rounded sections as in FiG. 6, i.e. approximately oval.

In another construction according to the invention, members 11 and 12 have their adjacent edges 31 and 32 formed with a chamfer or slope, in place of the convex curvature shown at 34 in FIG. 4, and the end pieces 31 of the movable crossbars 26 are then shaped to match such slope or cbamfer.

When an intermediate crossbar 26 is being inserted in a heddle frame 1t), the anchor block 38 for the lower end of the crossbar may be loosely screwed with the screws 41 to the lower end piece 31 so as not to become separated therefrom. The lower anchor block 38 thus loosely affixed to the cross'bar is then inserted into the opening 42 in the longitudinal member 11 and the anchor block 38 for the upper end of the crossbar is then inserted separately into the opening 42 in the upper longitudinal member 12. The upper end piece 31 of the crossbar is screwed then loosely with screws 41 to the anchor block 38 already inserted into the upper longitudinal member. The crossbar with the loosely attached anchor blocks 33 is moved to the right in FIG. 2 until it is in the desired position, and all four screws 41 are tightened. The crossbar has now been fixed.

The end pieces 31 may be provided with a transverse slots 47, as indicated in FIG. 5, so that the screws 41 can be screwed part-way into the anchor blocks 38 and the end pieces 31 then pushed under the heads of the screws 41.

Instead of screws 41, other connecting means may be used s-uch as pins held in the anchor blocks 38 by bayonet catches. In such a construction there will be smooth bores in the anchor blocks 38 instead of threaded bores 37.

The adjacent inner edges 32, 33 of the longitudinal members, near the slots 39, may be at instead of convexly curved, and the portions of the crossbar end pieces 31 may be shaped accordingly. The connection between the parts 31, 38 will then contribute less to reinforcing the heddle frame as a whole, but the frame will still `be rigd enough for certain weaving operations.

The heddle carrier bars 25 and intermediate crossbars 26 may additionally be fastened to each other. For this purpose, the heddle carrier bars may have longitudinal slots for receiving studs provided in the recesses of the crosbars.

While the invention has been described hereinabove in terms of a number of presently preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention itself is not limited thereto, but comprehends all modifications of and departures from those embodiments properly falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A heddle frame comprising upper and lower hollow longitudinal members of substantially at shape, end crossba-rs fastened to said members to hold the same in spaced relation in a common plane, said members having each in the edge thereof facing the other of said members a longitudinal slot of width narrower than the thickness of the longitudinal member, said frame further comprising a removable intermediate crossbar, end members of thickness greater than the width of said slots secured one to each end of said intermediate crossbar, a separate anchor member slideably disposed within each of said longitudinal members, and separate -releasable fastening means extending from each of said end members through a separate one of said slots into a separate one of said anchor members, said anchor members having a thickness greater than the width of said slots, whereby upon tightening of said fastening means said end members and anchor members are brought into frictional engagement respectively with the exterior and interior surfaces o-f said longitudinal members.

2. A heddle frame according to claim 1 wherein said longitudinal members taper in thickness toward each other adjacent said slots, wherein said end members are eoncavely grooved to straddle said longitudinal members adjacent said slots, and wherein said anchor mem- -bers are tapered at the portions thereof engaged by said fastening means, whereby each of said longitudinal members is clamped on either side of its said slot between one of said end members and one of said anchor members.

3. A heddle frame according to claim 1 wherein said fastening means comprise headed screws threadedly engageablewith said anchor members and wherein said end members are slotted to receive said screws.

4. A heddle frame according to claim 1 including a 5 6 reenforcing member disposed within each of said longi- 2,944,571 7/ 1960 Pfarrwaller 139-91 tudinal members and extending lengthwise thereof 0V`e1 3,221,776 12/ 1965 Wagner 139-92 the length of said slots, said reenforcing members having clearance from said slots suflicient to accommodate said FOREIGN PATENTS anchor members While supporting said anchor members 5 in position to be reached through said slots by said fasten ing means.

976,884 11/1950 France. 1,181,962 1/1959 France. References Cited 372,620 11/ 1963 Switzerland.

UNITED STATES PATENTS MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examinar. 2,674,273 4/1954 Biiakansiorfer 139412 10 JAMES KEE CHI, Assisiani Examinar. 

